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Becker radio question

sf3543

Well Known Member
I have a plane with a Becker AR 4201 radio that receives extremely well but doesn't transmit worth a darn. Very weak and garbled. I've checked out the basics, antenna, headset and plugs. Checked the programming and set it for max output power.
Not a lot on the net about them that I could find.
Anyone have any ideas before I start tearing into the wiring?
Thanks,
 
I would suggest a radio shop put a SWR meter on the antenna an test it. If you have an insufficient ground plane that would cause poor transmission.
 
I have seen that problem when the center pin on a BNC is not seated all the way. Enough of a connection to receive, but can't pass the power to transmit.
 
Thanks for the suggestions.
I checked the BNCs and antenna to make sure they were working using a test radio.
So, I decided to tear into the wiring at the radio and found a real mess inside the D-SUB connector. It was a solder type with a couple cold solders, a loose ground wire and just overall poor workmanship. I'm replacing everything with a better plug and crimp terminals.
The loose ground is probably the issue. It usually is.
Still don't know much about the Becker radios, but I'm learning fast!
 
I have owned several Becker radios in my gliders and they are great radios.

They are normally configured for use with a dynamic mic, I think there might be a jumper you can reposition to use a standard mic. If you have the wrong mic impedance I think it would degrade your transmit signals.
 
Beckers are great radios, if not a bit dated. Rock solid and proven. They are more expensive that competitive products without many of the interface features. Your AR 4201 is worth keeping if you figure out what's wrong.

The following falls into the "not that you asked" category:

The 4201 is old enough that it does not have standby frequency monitoring or GPS standby tuning by RS-232 SL 40 protocol like more modern units. It does have an OAT option but the probes are very expensive and I never used the OAT much on mine. It probably makes more sense in a glider which was a target market for the compact Beckers.

If you ever wanted standby frequency monitoring you could upgrade to an AR 6201 to gain that feature. Very handy in busy ATC environments or when flying formation. But again no real external data interface usable with other avionics or flight decks.

Becker's biggest hit is their price, especially based upon their 20 to 10 year-old technology. I replaced Becker 4201s in my Husky and my RV-3B with Trig TY-91's and that has become my new favorite round form factor transceiver. I was able to move and donate the Beckers to some of my buddy's projects. I always forego the internal ICS in both the Becker and Trigs as I like more features and stereo. My favorite avionics "stack" form factor transceiver is the Garmin GTR 200B with an incredible built-in stereo intercom with 3D audio and Bluetooth at a great price point. Not that you asked.
 
Steve,
I had a 4201 that somehow degraded its output amplifier so it was only sending out around 1/4W - not much good! It was worse on some frequencies than others. Took a while to figure out what was going on. Replacement was cheaper than repair. I've sent you a PM.
Pete
 
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